As discussed previously in the March article review, there are psychological implications from spending time in quarantine, particularly for healthcare workers. Over the past few weeks, several stores, companies, and restaurants began providing discounted or free services as a thank you to first responders and essential workers. During this time, it is particularly important that essential workers engage in proper self-care to maintain and support their mental health. Here are some companies showing their support and giving back:

Headspace: The mindfulness and guided meditation app is offering free access to a collection meditations, sleep, and movement exercises, called Weathering the Storm.

The North Face: Healthcare workers can receive 50% off of merchandise through December 31st after verifying their employment status.

Starbucks: Any customer who identifies as a first responder or who is working on the frontlines and supporting the health-care industry can receive a free tall brewed coffee.

Sirius XM: Anyone can now stream commercial free-music free until May 15.

Have you ever tasted shapes, saw sounds, or felt flavors? If so, you may be experiencing synesthesia, a neurological trait where “a triggering stimulus evokes the automatic, involuntary, affect-laden, and conscious perception of a sensory or conceptual property that differs from that of the trigger” (Cytowic, 2002).

References

Cytowic, R. (2002). Synesthesia: A union of the senses. The MIT Press.

Did you know that nonpathological hallucinations exist? Hypnagogic hallucinations are short-lived perceptual experiences that can occur while falling asleep. Similarly, hypnopompic hallucinations are short-lived perceptual experiences that can occur upon waking up and are often a continuation of a dream (Waters et al., 2016). Ohayon et al. (2016) found that both hypnopompic and hypnogogic hallucinations were common among a sample of United Kingdom citizens, with increased hypnopompic hallucinations in individuals with narcolepsy.

The researchers performed an article review of the psychological impact of quarantining. A search in three electronic databases yielded 3166 papers, 24 of which matched criteria (e.g., at least 24-hour quarantine, report data on the prevalence of psychological wellbeing, peer-reviewed) and were extensively reviewed. Of all symptoms noted within these articles, there was a high prevalence of irritability and low mood in individuals who were quarantined. Other symptoms included, grief, anxiety-induced insomnia, anger, emotional exhaustion, and trauma-related stress symptoms. History of psychiatric diagnosis was associated with prolonged anger and anxiety (i.e., 4-6 months) after discontinuing quarantine. Generally, health-care workers experienced more severe symptoms of trauma-related stress and stigmatization. The researchers found that duration of quarantine, fear of infection, boredom and frustration, inadequate supplies, and inadequate information were common significant stressors among the general population. Whereas, finances and stigma for those who had to be quarantined were persistent stressors following quarantine. Overall, increased duration of quarantine and whether the quarantine was voluntary were associated with poorer psychological outcomes. The researchers suggested that provision of accurate information of the disease and reasons for quarantine, access to supplies to cover basic needs, review of stress-management strategies (e.g., social networking, telephone support lines, online support groups), and delivery of special support for health-care workers may be helpful to diminish the psychological consequences of quarantining.

Haaksma and colleagues (2019) set out to determine factors that would facilitate accurate prediction of mortality rate in individuals with late-onset (i.e., ≥ age 65 at diagnosis) dementia. Participants were 55,076 individuals from 829 Swedish health centers who had been diagnosed with late-onset dementia by either their primary care or specialist memory doctor between May 2007 and December 2015. The researchers found that accurate survival predictions could be calculated based off of five characteristics at time of dementia diagnosis, including age, sex, comorbidity status, cognitive performance on the Mini Mental Status Examination, and type of dementia. According to the researchers, limitations included generalizability to other countries and lack of external validity. Additionally, other factors (e.g., living situation, number of medications) were not included in the tables and could have predictive value. Overall, the researchers hope that this tool can assist with shared decision-making and advanced care planning in individuals diagnosed with dementia.

One of my favorite things about winter is that it gives me a reason to bust out all of my warm, fuzzy blankets. This year, I decided to add a weighted blanket to my collection. I had heard a lot of good things about them, so I decided to check them, and the research behind them, out. These blankets are heavier than your normal blanket because their linings are filled with material (such as sand) that is evenly distributed. They can range from around 5 ponds to 30 pounds. One study found that the optimal weight was 12 pounds (Breus, 2019), while others recommend a blanket that is around 10 percent of your body weight (Schneeberg, 2020). The general idea behind the weighted blanket is that it can alleviate anxiety and improve sleep in individuals with insomnia (Schneedberg, 2020). The question, though, is whether or not relief from weighted blankets is the real deal or just a placebo effect.

One theory behind weighted blankets is that they cause deep pressure stimulation, which is similar to getting a message. It is believed this type of pressure causes the hormone oxytocin (which helps us sleep) to be released. It is also thought to reduce the amount of cortisol (a hormone released during times of stress) in the bloodstream (Breus, 2019). One study referenced quite often in articles about these blankets found that signs of physical arousal were reduced by 33 percent when individuals used a weighted blanket (Ackerley, Badre, & Olausson, 2015). However, one limitation of this study is that it was funded by a major manufacturer of weighted blanks. Further, this and other studies like it tend to lack control groups, do not adequately control for extraneous variables, or have a limited number of participants (Lockett, 2019). So, for now, it appears the verdict is out until more studies or a larger study is conducted. However, I will say I have enjoyed mine so far, and if nothing else, it’s unique and good at keeping in the warmth!

Following Valentine’s Day, there are massive sales on chocolate, and if you’re anything like me, you took full advantage of that fact. Further sweetening this post-Valentine’s Day deal is a recent survey of over 13,000 adults that found dark chocolate actually helps fight symptoms of depression. More specifically, results of the study found that those who had eaten dark chocolate within the past day were 70% less likely to report symptoms of depression. However, this effect appears to be specific to dark chocolate, as the same effect was not found for those who ate milk chocolate. Further, other factors such as diet or exercise were removed from the equation, indicating that dark chocolate indeed seemed to be the cause for less depression.

Additionally, there’s some good news for those of you who may be weary of eating too much chocolate and ruining those New Year’s resolutions: not much dark chocolate is needed to benefit from its natural antidepressant qualities. The study found that the average amount of dark chocolate consumed was less than half an ounce of chocolate containing 45% cocoa. This means that if you eat dark chocolate with 70 percent cocoa, you can eat less of it and still benefit.

Of course, as with most things, too much can be detrimental. Further, it is always good to keep in mind that there are some people who did not benefit from dark chocolate, so don’t fret if it isn’t for you or if you don’t feel the antidepressant effects. There are many positive ways out there to reduce feelings of sadness and depression. However, it’s nice to know you don’t have to feel guilty about capitalizing on those fantastic February 15th sales.

With February being American Heart Month, it made me wonder what kind of link there may be between the heart and mental health. The answer: a really big one! There is actually an entire subsection of psychology called Cardiac Psychology dedicated to understanding the link between the heart and mental health as well as to finding treatments to reduce the risk of heart disease. The field of Cardiac Psychology got it’s start back in 1959 and has grown to become the largest empirically validated specialty in health psychology (Allan, Pace, & Dorri, 2018).

Research has found that there are several psychological and social risk factors linked to heart disease and poor treatment outcomes including depression, anxiety, anger, loneliness, and social isolation (Allen et al., 2018). Another large area of research for Cardiac Psychology regarding risk factors is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In fact, some research has shown that individuals with PTSD are more than twice as likely to experience cardiac related hospitalization than those who do not have the disorder (Ginsberg, Pietrabissa, Manzoni, & Castelnuovo, 2015). On the other side, optimism is a huge factor in protection against heart disease, and several psychological interventions have been shown to decrease the risk for heart problems (Allen et al, 2015).

The intervention found to be most effective in reducing further cardiac problems is support groups for cardiac patients. Individual psychotherapy focused on the reduction and management of anger, stress, and depression is also beneficial (Allen et al., 2018). However, the field is still growing and there is a call for research exploring the effectiveness of specific types of psychology-based interventions such as various approaches to psychotherapy, psychoeducation, community-based interventions, biofeedback, etc. (Ginsberg et al., 2015). This is truly an exciting time to be in the field of Cardiac Psychology as it continues to expand and grow. Additionally, given the increasing body of literature linking mental and physiological health, the important role of psychology in keeping not just our minds, but our bodies, healthy has never been so clear.

Racism within the field of psychology has long hindered its ability to reach those in need. Further, it has kept many pioneers in the field from receiving the recognition they deserve due to the color of their skin. In honor of Black History Month and the ongoing fight to dismantle racism within institutions such as psychology, let us take some time to honor Black and African American men and women who have contributed so much to psychology.

Solomon Carter Fuller, M.D. (1872-1953)

Dr. Fuller was an African American psychiatrist who made ground-breaking discoveries regarding the physical changes the brain goes through when affected by Alzheimer’s. He spent the majority of his career at Westborough State Mental Hospital and devoted his work to furthering research on not only Alzheimer’s, but also schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder (MHA, 2020; Anderson, 2018).

Herman George Canady, Ph.D. (1901-1970)

Dr. Canady was a clinical and social psychologist best known for his pioneering work investigating the ways in which the race of an evaluator can bias the results of IQ testing. He also served as an expert witness for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in cases regarding discrimination and segregation. The work he did throughout his life helped decrease racism in psychology by better preparing universities to accept and train future Black/African American psychologists (APA, 2020).

Mamie Phillips Clark, Ph.D. (1917-1983)

Dr. Clark was the first African American woman to receive a doctorate from Columbia University. She performed the ground-breaking “Doll Test,” which revealed that even African American children preferred dolls with white skin over those with that were black. These findings were then used to bolster testimony in the Brown v. Board of Education case, which ultimately led to the decision that segregation in schools was unconstitutional. Throughout her studies, Dr. Clark also noticed the lack of psychological services available to minorities. Due to this, she went on to open her own agency to provide much needed services to poor and minority communities (MHA, 2020; Anderson, 2018).

Maxie Clarence Maultsby, Jr., M.D. (1932-2016)

Dr. Maultsby was the founder of the well-known psychological intervention called rational behavior therapy (RBT). His work made emotional self-help a focus of research and combined neuropsychology with emotional and behavioral self-control. Many studies have found this technique to be efficacious and that it produces long-term results. It continues to be taught in school and utilized by therapists to this day (MPA, 2020; Anderson, 2018).

Freda C. Lewis-Hall, M.D., DFAPA

Dr. Lewis-Hall strove to become a physician from an early age, as she was inspired by her uncle’s fight against polio and those who cared for him (Taylor, 2012). She has had a long and successful career in psychiatry and is currently Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Pfizer, a leader in research-based pharmaceutical development. She has been in a myriad of leadership roles, worked in academia, contributed to medical research, and worked in clinical settings. In 2010, she was asked to join the Board of Governors for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute by the Obama Administration. Dr. Lewis-Hall was also been named one of Savoy’s Top Influential Women in Corporate America, “Woman of the Year,” one of Black Enterprise Magazine’s 75 Most Powerful Women in Business, and one of Black Health Magazine’s 25 Most Influential African Americans in health care (MPA, 2020).

Jacki McKinney, M.S.W.

Ms. McKinney is a trauma survivor, has overcome addiction and homelessness, and experienced the psychiatric and criminal justice systems first-hand during her life. Due to her experiences, she became a family advocate and specialized in issues affecting African American women, seclusion and restraint, intergenerational family support, and problems faced by minorities seeking public health services. She has received many awards including those given to individuals who provide leadership and advocacy for trauma survivors and individuals who seek to decrease stigma against and improve conditions for those with addictions and mental illnesses (MPA, 2020).